“Reengineering” Residential Care Facilities: A Case Study of Hamilton, Ontario

Residential care facilities are an enduring feature of Ontario's community mental health system. While these facilities offer affordable housing, they are also custodial environments that are poorly suited to goals of recovery and rehabilitation. This paper examines the extent to which facilities can be “reengineered” to improve tenants' daily lives using a case study of facilities in Hamilton, Ontario. Data from a 2005 survey of 50 people with psychiatric disabilities living in residential care facilities were used to assess quality of life and the extent to which operators have implemented newly revised municipal regulations. The findings are compared with those of earlier researchers (Taylor, Elliott, & Kearns, 1989) who conducted a similar survey in 1986 in Hamilton. While the two surveys differ with regard to specific items, broad comparison suggests little has changed, raising questions about the extent to which such facilities should continue to play a central role in housing for people with psychiatric disabilities.